Stallarholmen: Cultural History, Cycling Route and Spring Blossoms

To help you decide whether Stallarholmen is right for your trip, consider its distinct highlights: architectural and art history, an ancient monument with spring blossoms, cycling, the creative use of a former factory building, or a visit by boat. Other attractions include a bakery with a café in Gula Industrihuset and a winery nearby that offers visits by reservation. These varied themes can help you choose when to travel and which activities to include, according to your interests.

Church Art and Architectural History

Several periods of history can be seen at Ytterselö Church. Its oldest parts date from the 12th century. Two burial chapels belonging to the Soop family date from 1650 and 1728. Einar Forseth designed the chancel windows during a restoration in 1929. The baptismal font also has its own distinctive character: it is made of sandstone and belongs to a small group of fonts made in Mälardalen towards the end of the 12th century. Together, these details take you from the church’s early architectural history through the burial chapels to craftsmanship and restoration.

Another architectural highlight is Mälsåker Castle, a Baroque palace on Selaön. Its clearly defined style offers a distinct perspective on architectural history and marks a different period from the oldest parts of Ytterselö Church. If you are interested in historic architecture, you can focus on these different examples and periods.

Ancient Monument, Spring Blossoms and Cycling Route

At Åsa burial ground, Åsa domarsäte is the best-known ancient monument: a stone ship setting that originally consisted of 24 upright stones. Its name, shape and original size give the site a specific cultural history theme. In spring, a natural highlight adds to the appeal. Every year, many people visit the burial ground to see the pasqueflowers blooming by the thousand. Flowering begins in April, but varies depending on conditions. If you are planning a visit specifically to see this natural display, check when the flowers actually begin to bloom rather than relying only on a fixed date on the calendar.

At the start of the Björkebyleden cycling route stands a runestone erected by Stallarholmens Vikingar on 2 July 2006. The route’s starting point thus connects a cycling trail with a dated monument. This offers a different focus from Åsa burial ground: there, the stone ship setting and spring blossoms take centre stage; here, the cycling route’s starting point and the runestone are the highlights. If you are interested in both cultural history and cycling, you can take both into account when choosing activities for your trip.

Creative Spaces, Exhibitions and Local Flavours

Gula Industrihuset in Stallarholmen was once a factory and is now used creatively. The building is home to Bageri Speceri, an award-winning bakery with a wood-fired oven and a café. The former factory and its creative use today come together with a specific culinary offering. Galleri Gulan holds several exhibitions every year. If you would like an exhibition to be part of your visit, check the dates that coincide with your trip.

Near Stallarholmen, Selaöns Vingård accepts bookings for visits, tours and tastings. It is not possible to visit the vineyard without a reservation, so be sure to book if you plan to go. This is a different kind of outing from visiting the town by boat: Stallarholmen has a boat fuel station just by the bridge approach on the mainland side, and boats can moor there for a visit to the town.

Different considerations therefore shape your travel plans: the pasqueflowers are tied to the spring bloom, visits to Selaöns Vingård require a reservation, and exhibition dates matter. The cycling route, historic buildings and creative use of Gula Industrihuset offer other points of interest if you enjoy cycling as well as culture.

Discover more destinations: Åkers Styckebruk, Mariefred, Strängnäs

Back to the main travel guide: Strängnäs.